What to start seeds in?

[Danny]

What do you use to start your seeds in? There are a lot of mixes and it is hard to choose. Does everyone use the same starter for all seeds or a different one for different seeds?

[Setec Astronomy]

I imagine I'm in the minority, but I'm going back to Jiffy Pellets this year.

[Tormahto]

I've found that all of the small bags, no matter the brand, tend to be very inconsistent. They do seem to be fine grained mixes. I've been using the same (compressed) cubic yard of Pro-Mix BX, for several years, with great results. Large pieces of sticks need to be weeded out.

If you ever decide to mix your own, be careful and read up on the ingredients.

[karstopography]

I’ve been pleased with the jiffy brand seed starting mix being my first time to use it and the good people of TJ turned me on to it. It has coconut coir, peat moss, and vermiculite. Seems consistent and fine grained. I got the 12 qt bags. They happened to be $5.99/bag which I now see was a good deal.

I figured out an easy method to work with it. Get about twice the amount of the dry jiffy mix of whatever volume of your starter trays or containers are. So, about Two scoops of dry mix of the total volume needed, then dump that dry mix into a bucket and add some little bit of water and work it into the mix. This stuff resists water initially so a little time kneading and elbow grease helps get the water to absorb into the mix.

Once, that is to the consistency you like, I wanted a moist paste like consistency, then fill your containers with that paste to the desired level. I then put my seeds on the tamped down level layer and then add 1/4” of dry jiffy mix over that and press lightly. Enough moisture comes up to moisten that up a little. Maybe gently add a tiny fine sprinkle more of water if the top layer seems too dry.

Above method Seemed to work well with my pepper seeds. I Got very good germination doing the above. Planted more pepper and a couple of tomatoes today by the same method.

[Labradors]

Promix HP. It's very dry and prevents any damping off.

Linda

[Setec Astronomy]

I’ve been pleased with the jiffy brand seed starting mix

Thanks for mentioning that, I didn't realize they made that. The Pro-Mix HP looks pretty interesting, too.

[eyegrotom]

one more vote. for Jiffy brand seed starting mix, I have been using it for at least 6 or 7 years with good results

[GoDawgs]

I've used something for a long time that used to be called Metro-Mix. It's what the propagation folks at the nursery where I worked used for seed starting. Now I get it at the local feed 'n weed and the company that made it was bought out by someone else but they still make it and I'm glad for it. It's a big bag and will last me through the spring and fall plant starting.

[Cole_Robbie]

I use vermiculite. The large grain is nice, but the finer stuff sold as insulation works OK too.

The worst seed starting failures I have had are from using peat based pro mix and not keeping the tops moist. If the top dries out, the sprouts can't poke through.

[Rockoe10]

Just a hog pog of different bags of potting soil and peat, mixed in a metal trash can.

[MissTee]

I have used both Jiffy and Pro-Mix BX. They are both rather dry and don't hold water, which is desirable. Jiffy is a good option if you just have a small amount of seedlings. I moved to the Pro-Mix because a PM bale goes a lot further than the small bags that Jiffy comes in. I can seed initial trays, then pot up into around 400 4" pots with one bale of Pro-Mix.

[AKgardener]

I’m sticking with the jiffy pellets as well got a lot of trays and bought refill packs

[bower]

This year I picked up a couple of bags of PROMIX mycoactive for vegetables, to mix with the bags of compost from our local supplier. The compost alone will dry out too quickly so I was really looking for perlite more than anything, and decided to try this stuff.
I mixed up a half bag of the PROMIX to one bag of compost, but it didn't seem enough so I added a bit more. After seeing how the greens handled it I think it's okay but the surface tends to harden over, I will use less of the PRO next time.
I was tempted to say that I start my seedlings in gold dust. Those small bags of Promix at $7 each and the compost is gone up to $7 a bag as well.

[Tormahto]

I use vermiculite. The large grain is nice, but the finer stuff sold as insulation works OK too.

The worst seed starting failures I have had are from using peat based pro mix and not keeping the tops moist. If the top dries out, the sprouts can't poke through.

I was using N95 masks many years ago when mixing vermiculite with peat and perlite. Read up on vermiculite, and you'll find out why.

[Toomanymatoes]

I've tried many different seed starting mixes. Some were really bad. I would go with Jiffy if I was buying a seed starting mix. Reasonable price and the quality has always been better than the others for me.

However, I am not really sure that it's necessary to use a seedling mix. I have used Promix Potting soil as well, since it was the best deal I could get. Sure, you pick out some sticks and bark chips here and there, but never had any issues with it. The Promix HP and BX are probably slightly better choices since they do not contain fertilizer. However, for me they were always more expensive.

This year I bought SunGro Sunshine Mix #4 since it was on clearance. It is basically the same as Promix HP. Unfortunately it was stored outside, so I have to be sure to thoroughly treat it with boiling water. Since I am lazy, I also happened to pick up a bag of Jiffy Young Plant Mix (not sure if that is a different product or not?) that I walked past at Home Depot to start with.

[zeuspaul]

I use recycled potting mix that I blended myself years ago. It was originally based on 511. It started as bark, peat and perlite. Now I add granular DE instead of perlite because it holds more water. I add crushed egg shells and spent tea leaves from several different teas. Also a sprinkle of blood and bone if I have it available. Also a sprinkle of Epsom salt and maybe a little fertilizer and a little potash. I sift it to remove the bigger stuff. Also add a little more peat.

I strive for a well draining mix. This year I am adding a little lime because the bark and peat may be too acidic. I vacillate between sterilizing and not. 130 degrees F saves some microbes. 180 degrees kills a lot. But no sterilization also works. IMO damping off is best prevented with growing conditions, moisture, light and temperature.

I pre germinate the seeds before planting in a rose pot.

[Cole_Robbie]

I use vermiculite. The large grain is nice, but the finer stuff sold as insulation works OK too.

The worst seed starting failures I have had are from using peat based pro mix and not keeping the tops moist. If the top dries out, the sprouts can't poke through.

I was using N95 masks many years ago when mixing vermiculite with peat and perlite. Read up on vermiculite, and you'll find out why.

If you had product that came from the now closed mine that produced vermiculite contaminated with asbestos, that was indeed a wise choice.

Perlite dust seems like the worst to me. It's noxious.

[Maggie13]

I have great results over the years with ProMix for all of my seed starting.

[Tormahto]

I've tried many different seed starting mixes. Some were really bad. I would go with Jiffy if I was buying a seed starting mix. Reasonable price and the quality has always been better than the others for me.

However, I am not really sure that it's necessary to use a seedling mix. I have used Promix Potting soil as well, since it was the best deal I could get. Sure, you pick out some sticks and bark chips here and there, but never had any issues with it. The Promix HP and BX are probably slightly better choices since they do not contain fertilizer. However, for me they were always more expensive.

This year I bought SunGro Sunshine Mix #4 since it was on clearance. It is basically the same as Promix HP. Unfortunately it was stored outside, so I have to be sure to thoroughly treat it with boiling water. Since I am lazy, I also happened to pick up a bag of Jiffy Young Plant Mix (not sure if that is a different product or not?) that I walked past at Home Depot to start with.

Is Promix potting soil, soilless?

[bower]

Promix is peat based.
I would be reusing container mix from the greenhouse to pot up, with 1/3 fresh compost, if not concerned that aphids may hatch out of it indoors. Since tomatoes are started later, and aphids don't bother them much, I may still do that when the time comes.